Not Applicable.
Not Applicable.
The present invention relates to a machine for cutting rumble strips. More particularly, this machine repetitively cuts depressions in a roadway surface at desired spacings.
Rumble strips may be used on the shoulders of roads or on highway exit ramps. Rumble strips are spaced such that when a vehicle drives over them, they make a loud sound that can be heard by the driver of the vehicle. They provide a safety function by warning a driver when he or she has left the main roadway. This is especially helpful to drivers that have fallen asleep while driving.
Some of the machines that are currently available for creating rumble strips are stationary while cutting. One disadvantage with such machines is that it takes a long time for them to cover a small area of roadway surface.
Other machines available use circular cams to drive the cutting wheel forward, thus requiring an additional mechanism for moving the cutting wheel up and down. Still other machines include eccentric cams that are continuously in contact with the surface under treatment. These eccentric cams cause a raising and lowering motion to be transferred to a cutting wheel. The disadvantage with such eccentric cams is that when the treated surface is uneven, the machine can be pushed out of alignment. Also, the cams can be damaged from contact with the ground.
To overcome the deficiencies found with conventional machines for cutting rumble strips, an energy efficient apparatus for cutting rumble strips is needed. Still further, a cutting attachment that can be moved both horizontally and vertically is needed.
It is an object of the present invention to provide a machine for creating rumble strips that conserves energy.
It is a further object of the present invention to provide a machine for cutting rumble strips that is able to cut rumble strips without interrupting the forward motion of the machine.
According to the present invention, the foregoing and other objects are achieved by an apparatus for creating rumble strips in a surface such as asphalt or concrete. This apparatus includes a vehicle with an attachment coupled therewith. The attachment includes a cutter wheel having teeth thereon, a flywheel coupled with the cutter wheel, a first hydraulic motor coupled with the cutter wheel for rotating the cutter wheel and the flywheel, eccentric cams for moving the cutter wheel vertically with respect to the surface being cut, a gear box and second hydraulic motor coupled with the eccentric cams, and a sliding assembly that is both horizontally and vertically movable with respect to the surface being cut. The sliding assembly is coupled with the cutter wheel. The eccentric cams do not contact the surface being cut. The present invention further includes a method for cutting rumble strips in a road using the apparatus described above.
Additional objects, advantages, and novel features of the invention will be set forth in the description that follows and in part will become apparent to those skilled in the art upon examination of the following, or may be learned by practice of the invention.